This section takes a look at the very best APCD courses and designers that have earnt the extra special award.

COURSE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

2011 - Huntingdale Golf Club by Jason Thorpe

Once again it seems that a December release has been saved to snatch the award at the end of the year. This year is was Huntingdale Golf Club by Jason Thorpe which is a real course design from Melbourne, Australia. It was a close desicion but the amazing ground level texturing is some of the best ever seen on a design. In addition the details and planting of a great tree palette produced a quality finish all round with a neat loading screen too. A special mention goes to Stewart Parker with Turnberry, The Ailsa Course whose tournament option makes it another one of the best designs also available and was a worthy runner up to the winner.

2010 - Pine Valley by Robert Miller

For most of the year there was a clear leader as Robert Miller led the way with the recreation of the long awaited Pine Valley. I cant think of another real course that would have received a better reception from the links community given those already released, and this is an immaculate version. Visually this is a stunning achieving, the course winding between the pine trees and split by some of the best dirt waste areas. However Mike Jones with his Christmas release of Royal Kenya Country Club almost stole the award at the death but ultimately settled for the runner up slot.

2009 - Pilgrim Trails by Mike Jones

There was a head to head clash of the titans for the 2009 title as Mike Jones returned after a long break to release Pilgrim Trails, and Robert Miller aimed for a hatrick of wins with a remake of Bethpage Black. Both designs were definately amongst the best of all time and would have made great winners, but in the end it was the fictional Pilgrim Trails that edged home for Mike’s 4th award title. This fir tree lined course is exemplary, with superb textures, beautiful colours and a clever lay out. This one has more natural beauty and less thrills than some of Mike’s other releases and is certainly one of his crowning achievements. Bethpage Black was the design runner up.

2008 - Pinehurst #2 by Robert Miller

Robert Miller has become the recent star of APCD designing, following up his 2007 Course of the Year award with a successive win, this time with Pinehurst #2. Given that this real course was pretty high on many peoples most wanted list gives it a great platform, but the way this has been re-created with such detail, superb red pine textures, objects and of course those trademark domed greens is an outstanding achievement. This will remain one of the all time great course designs in a year that started to show signs that new course designs were slowing. The runner up was Cog Hill (Dubsdread) by Tim Hagen.

2007 - Shinnecock Hills by Robert Miller

The 2007 Course of the Year award was won by the emerging designer Robert Miller. The realism and accuracy of Shinnecock Hills is astounding, being so detailed, having neat real touches like sprinkler heads and worn textures and a wonderful natural playability. The grass patchwork effects adds real depth and the excellent clubhouse with 3d outbuildings raise this to the highest level. It is an open looking, fantastic design and one we are also familiar with as a majors venue. It has since been updated too and is now even better as one of the top releases of all time. Westchester Country Club by Steve Avery was the worthy runner up.

2006 - Crooked Creek by Wayne Hewitt

2006 was a year for great real course releases including the high quality of The Inverness Club by Bruce Ditmyer and Harbour Town by Eddie Schmidt. However, it was a fictional course which stood out above them all to deservedly claim the award. Crooked Creek is a masterpeice in all aspects, an Australian sandbelt course with amazingly real planting and breathtaking views with an superb panorama and clubhouse. This design finally gave Wayne Hewitt a Course of the Year accolade he clearly deserved after the close runs of Tall Pines Estate and Wagga Wagga. The runner up was Inverness Club by Bruce Ditmyer.      

2005 - Pebble Beach by Chuck Clark

Cara Brae by Mike Jones was a final developement of his amazing links and coastline skills and whilst this was the highest technicial quality course release of 2005, in the final decision it was the communal popularity and real life accuracy and enjoyment of Pebble Beach by Chuck Clark that deservedly stole the award. Being such a high profile major venue this just has that extra factor of drawing you back so many times for a replay, and edged out Cara Brae by a whisker. Pebble Beach is one of the greatest real life venues and this version is a fantastic replica and simply majestic to play.

2004 - Augusta National by Andrew Jones

In a year of releases to rival 2003, this year was also crammed full of amazing courses shortlisted for the title including Bull Run by Eddie Schmidt, Crystal Pines and Las Joyas both by Mike Jones and Wagga Wagga by Wayne Hewitt. But in late December of this year came perhaps the most awaited course of all time, Augusta National by Andrew Jones, a design aided by Wayne Hewitt, Mike Jones and Anders Bessermann. It’s accuracy is astounding, and the course has a beauty already assured by the real venue. It also gave the game a new lease of life being packaged with the 1.06 modification and stole the award. The joint runners up were from Mike Jones with Crystal Pines and also Wayne Hewitt with Wagga Wagga.   

2003 - Burn’s Old Links by Mike Jones

On the back of the Links 2003 box release, this year was the strongest ever for the number of top class releases. Tall Pines Estate by Wayne Hewitt, Brabazon at The Belfry by The Dark Horse Team and Brookline by Eddie Schmidt were all Course of the Year quality. However it was Burn’s Old Links by Mike Jones that became a firm favourite amongst so many players, a links course in the traditional old style with wooden boarded bunkers, many routes available from tee to green and an astounding landscape of rolls and dips. It remains a phenomenon in terms of lay-out and strategy that set it apart from all the amazing courses also released that year. The runner up designs went jointly to Merion East by Dexter Gresh and Wayne Hewitt with Tall Pines Estate in such a competitive year..

2002 - Royal County Kilderry by Mike Jones

Mike Jones continued to develop as the most established designer of this time. Building on his opening links style course of Northern Dunes he created another groundbreaking links course called Royal County Kilderry. Everything about this pushed the boundaries a little more, from the ground level grasses and planting to the rolling links farmland landscape. The railway line at the back of the 8th remains a unique feature rarely surpassed. In a neat link the clubhouse was provided by Guenter Kujat the 2000 winning designer. There were many other string designs that contested the title including Shadowlands, also by Mike Jones, TPC @ Sawgrass by Anders Bessermann and Cabo Del Sol by Microsoft in an add on pack. The runner up though was Medinah No.3 by John Pineda.

2001 - Pacific Breaks by Mike Jones

Throughout 2001 the amazing and revolutionary links style course of Northern Dunes by Mike Jones looked odds on for the Course of the Year title. However in December of this year, the same designer released a course that would visually change coastlines forever. Pacific Breaks was born, close in style to the great Pebble Beach and at times a scary course to play. Never had the cliffs and coastline looked so realistic or played so much a part in the hazards of the game. The course has now been revamped for Links 2003, and it remains one of the all time inspirational designs that laid down its mark in the game’s history for others to follow. The runner up design was Northen Dunes also by Mike Jones.

2000 - Munchen Nord, Eichenried by Guenter Kujat

This is the course that really set the standard quality benchmark for all those that have come since. Just a couple of months after Links 2001 itself was released, this European course followed, having been developed during beta testing of the game. With its subsequent updates, Munchen Nord remains one of the most realistic looking courses ever made, and is very accurate to the real tournament venue. Its tournament option with crowds and advertising boards again set such high standards that few compare well to it even now. For European players in particular it will feel so much like playing a round on your local course. It came packaged with an amazing video preview and to be honest nothing came even close to this course for the 2000 year award.

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